ML20154P676
| ML20154P676 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | West Valley Demonstration Project |
| Issue date: | 03/16/1980 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154P653 | List: |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-URFO NUDOCS 9810230043 | |
| Download: ML20154P676 (3) | |
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{ William J. Dircks -
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.N MEMORANDUM FOR:
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William J. Dirck's, Director hh T,I
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FROM:
Richard E. Cunningham, Director.
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ANALYSISOFM0YNIHANBILLONW5STVALLEY
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SUBJECT:
p' $ v'g ON HIGH-LEVEL WASTE Y.our note of February 27,1980 asked for an analysis of Senator Moynihan's bill on West Valley'high level waste.
Ms. Mary Ann Richardson of Congressman Lundine s staff has been kind enough to help us keep track of the progress of the various bills, primarily as they relate to Mr. Lundine's bill. l0ur comments are as follows:
Mr. Moynihan's bill (the Bill) does not address the. institutional 1.
questions, only the question of immobilization of the high-level waste. This is in keeping with the Lundine bill, after which it was patterned.and is now identical.
Mr. Lundine fears that taking sides on the institutional question would doom the bill for certain.
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The licensing aspects of the Department of Energy (DOE) work are 2.
not addressed in the Bill.
We are proceeding under the assumption l-that work would be 'done under the existing license or some adaptation of the license.
You took that position in your testimony on May 31, 1979 before the House Subcomittee on Energy and the Environment, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs (testimony attached).
j Subsequently, on June 4,1979 Congressman Udall wrote former j-Chairman Hendrie questioning whether the NRC's current authority l.
to ' license high level waste management activities at West Valley L
Af ter several months of discussion among NMSS, was adequate.
4 OELD, 0GC and the Conmissioners themselves, Dr. Hendrie responded 23, 1979. This lengthy letter documents the confusion on November and disagreement' that exists over the entire issue of NRC's
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licensing authority of a DOE waste solidification plant at West Valley.
Cepies of the exchange of correspondence between Mr. Udall and Dr. Hendrie are attached.
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' CONTACT:
A. T. Clark, FCAF
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On page 4, lines 10-16 of the Bill, the requirement that DOE
" consult" with the MRC is codified.
In the past, our interpreta-
, tion of " consultation" with rnpect to licensing has been that consultation falls short of full, formal licensing.
For example, 1
we used the word " consult" in a specific sense in NUREG-0527, the Waste Licensing Study.
In that case, consult implied that NRC would conduct independent safety and environmental reviews of t
proposed DOE actions; but actual issuance of a license and review by a licensing board would not take place.
3.
1he fixed dates appeiring in the Bill are tending to render it obsolete.
(This probably would be rectified before becoming O
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4.
The ten year time limit originally given in the Lundine bill has been removed. This is preferable, since it could well take more than ten years to complete the work.
N 5.
The Bill does not adequately recognize the lack of a Federal l-repository for high-level waste. On-site storage will probably be necessary for a few years.
6.
Secondary wastes will be generated as a result of processing the high-level waste and during decontamination and decommissioning.
The Bill does not address these wastes and may not need to, but the destination of these wastes (on-site in burial ground or shipped off-site) has become an issue.
O 7.
The Bill does not call for a waste form which meets national repository criteria.
Our correspondence with the Department of Energy on this matter stated it should meet the criteria in so far as practicable.
We agree with the Bill's approach.
~8.
The Bill limits funding to $5M for planning and data collecting until the various parties have agreed (contracted) to the plan. This is an excellent feature.
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9 3-William J. Dircks Finally, we-are attaching a copy of an article which appeared in the March 5,1980 flew -Yort: Times pertaining to legislation being proposed i
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in the Congress on tnis issue.
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Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Fuel Cycle and
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Material Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Enclosures:
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- w. a. Dircks Testimony dtd May 31, 1979 2.
Congressman Udall to Chairman Hendrie exchange of letters 3.
New York Times article by Irv Molotzky t**
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